Confession: When a was little, I used to sneak large globs of cookie dough from the giant tub of Pillsbury in the fridge. I laughed at the threat of getting an upset stomach. Oh, to be young and so carefree…

As evidenced by today’s post, however, my childhood desires have not entirely been suppressed with age. As much as I love my Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Dip, I do not always have sweet potatoes at hand. Instead, I have created this protein-packed cookie dough.

And guess what? I have not only been eating this as a snack and dessert, but also for breakfast too! Looking at the ingredients list, I can confidently say I regret nothing!

Oh, and an added bonus? This recipe will stuff you up! I couldn’t even get through a quarter of my cookie dough bowl before getting full! With that said, enjoy!

Cookie Dough Protein Bowl (Grain-Free)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup protein powder (obviously, pick a flavor you like!)

3/4 cup plain, whole milk yogurt

1/4 cup nut butter and/or coconut butter

3 tbsp coconut flour

2 tbsp shredded coconut

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

Pinch of stevia

2 tbsp cacao nibs

Directions:

Add all ingredients (except the cacao nibs) into a food processor and blend until smooth (likewise, you can just stir all the ingredients together in a bowl really well). Stir in the cacao nibs, transfer to a bowl, and place in the fridge for 20 minutes before serving. Makes a great breakfast, snack, or dessert!

Spray your waffle maker with oil and place on medium-high heat. In a bowl, whisk together all of your ingredients. Spread in your waffle maker and let cook until desired softness/crispiness (about 2 minutes).

Combine all ingredients in a pot and cook on the stove over LOW heat for 45 minutes. Stir every so often. Afterwards, let cool to room temperature, transfer to a jar with a sealed lid, and place in the fridge overnight. Spread butter on whatever you like the next day- or just attack it with a spoon! Store in the fridge.

*Note: To get shredded butternut squash, find a butternut squash with a LONG NECK. Only shred the neck to avoid butternut squash “guts” and seeds (just save the round part of the squash for another recipe). Before shredding with a grater, make sure to peel the skin off!

Directions:

In a skillet, heat ghee over low heat until melted. Add in onions, garlic, paprika, cayenne, pepper flakes, salt, and pepper and cook for 10 minutes, stirring often. Afterwards, add in shredded butternut squash, cover skillet with a lid, and let cook for 5 minutes. Mix in sausage and 1 cup ofspinach leaves. Cover with a lid and let cook until slightly wilted. Add in another cup of spinach and repeat the process. Do this until all 5 cups of spinach is used. Make the final adjustments with salt and pepper and serve!

Sorry for the hiatus. A storm swept through New Jersey last week and knocked out my power for 6 days! To make matters more “fun,” I was housesitting in the middle of nowhere, so I was by myself in the dark with no means of cooking 😦

Luckily, my circumstances took a turn for the better as I then got to go to an education conference held in Orlando, Florida! It was so nice to take a shower without using a flashlight…

I will never take a lightbulb for granted again.

Anyways, the convention I went to was awesome! I got to meet and connect with people from all over the country and see how the education system differs from state to state. Not to mention, I got the chance to go to Epcot and Downtown Disney at night!

The New Jersey Delegation (Somehow, I wound up dead center in the pic)

So, I’m finally back now! And just in time for a 4th of July post 🙂

Red and Blue Coconut Flour Pancakes (Paleo)

Ingredients:

2 eggs

1/3 cup water

1 tsp honey

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup coconut flour

2 tbsp tapioca flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/8 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 cup chopped strawberries

1/4 cup blueberries

ghee, butter, or oil

Directions:

In one bowl, whisk together eggs, water, honey, and vanilla.

In another bowl, mix together the flours, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

Pour dry into wet and beat batter until all clumps are gone. Add in berries and let batter sit for 5 minutes to thicken (Note- your batter should be on the thicker side. If not, add in 1 tsp of coconut flour at a time).

Meanwhile, grease cooking pan with ghee, butter, or oil and place over medium-low heat. Once hot, add spoonfuls of batter until desired pancake size and cook, flipping pancakes over when the tops begin to bubble.